New Bucs QB coach Van Pelt loves Josh Freeman

The main thing Bucs QB coach Alex Van Pelt has learned about QB Josh Freeman, he said, is that, "He’s never a second offender. If you ask him to do something, he corrects it immediately and applies it. The next week, it’s not like, ‘Hey, remember, get your feet right.’ He’s correctable. You say it one time and he’s got it. . . You’re looking for a guy like that. Instead of harping on something, he’s got it. That’s the main thing. Obviously, he’s got all the ability in the world. But the thing I love is that he’s coachable."

That's good news for the Bucs, because Freeman's development is at the center of the club's success on the field this season. Freeman has already called this offseason the biggest of his career because of the opportunity to grow and look back on his nine games of experience.

"His growth from getting in and watching the (film) and everything he did last year -- from there to where he is now, you can see the growth," Van Pelt said. "It’s huge. It’s exponential growth already. And there’s a comfort level, too. Once you’ve been in the system for a year, (you can say), ‘I understand protections, I understand all the issues that go with protections, I understand my reads, my footwork."